Bartók's Viola Concerto: The Remarkable Story of His Swansong

Donald Maurice

Abstract

When Béla Bartók died in September of 1945, he left a partially completed viola concerto commissioned by the violist William Primrose. While no definitive version of the work exists, this concerto has become arguably the most-performed viola concerto in the world. After Bartók's death, his family asked the composer's friend, Tibor Serly, to look over the sketches of the concerto and to prepare it for publication. While a draft was ready, it took Serly years to assemble the sketches into a complete piece. In 1949, Primrose finally unveiled it at a premiere performance with the Minneapolis Symph ... More

When Béla Bartók died in September of 1945, he left a partially completed viola concerto commissioned by the violist William Primrose. While no definitive version of the work exists, this concerto has become arguably the most-performed viola concerto in the world. After Bartók's death, his family asked the composer's friend, Tibor Serly, to look over the sketches of the concerto and to prepare it for publication. While a draft was ready, it took Serly years to assemble the sketches into a complete piece. In 1949, Primrose finally unveiled it at a premiere performance with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. For almost half a century, the Serly version enjoyed great popularity among the viola community, even while it faced charges of inauthenticity. In the 1990s, several revisions appeared and, in 1995, the composer's son, Peter Bartók, released a revision and a facsimile of the original manuscript, opening the way for an intensified debate on the authenticity of the multiple versions. This debate continues as violists and Bartók scholars seek the definitive version of this final work of Hungary's greatest composer. This book tells the story of the genesis and completion of the work (including detailed analysis of its musical elements), from its commissioning by Primrose to its first performance, its reception over the second half of the 20th century, its revisions, and future possibilities.

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